Garbage strewn at Collectorate Ghat in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Oct. 11: Devotees will have to wait till Diwali for assurance from the district administration about their safety during Chhath.

Till then, they can only pray to the Sun for their security during the festival. The district administration still cannot guarantee safety of the devotees thronging the ghats during Chhath despite its claims vis-a-vis preparations. Patna divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal today said: “We are doing everything possible to ensure that the devotees thronging the ghats of the state capital perform Chhath rituals safely without facing any problems. The administration is taking all steps for the safety of devotees. We can say something concrete on the safety aspect only after Diwali. The administration, however, is leaving no stone unturned to make the festival safe.”

After the stampede incidents at Adalatganj Ghat during the 2012 Chhath and Dussehra at Gandhi Maidan , the district administration today appealed to the people not to burst crackers during Chhath. The festival starts on October 29.

The administration has been holding meetings since the last week to address various aspects regarding the safety and security of devotees. “We appeal to the people not to turn Chhath a festival like Diwali. We urge people not to burst crackers during Chhath as this creates commotion among devotees leading to chaos and disorder. The administration will ensure that crackers are not used at the ghats. The sale of crackers in and around the ghats during the festival is strictly prohibited,” the commissioner said.

On the other hand, police forces have accepted that men-in-uniform lack proper knowledge on how to deal with an untoward situation. “It is a fact that the police here have little knowledge about what to do and how to tackle things when there is a big gathering at a place. We are trying to address this issue before Chhath. Therefore, Patna police will start a special training course on crowd management in the Police Lines before Chhath. All policemen will attend this course. We will also take the help of the state police and the paramilitary infrastructure for the same,” senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jitender Rana told The Telegraph.

The officer said all the ghats where Chhath rituals are performed would have watchtowers and police control rooms. “There is always a Maoist threat in the rural areas. And when policemen are deployed in these places, they are always at risk. Therefore, we need to be very alert and careful. We are also trying to install a CCTV camera at each ghat to monitor and tackle trouble mongers and eve-teasers,” the officer said.

Authorities at the administration added that the deployment of administrative officials on the ghats would be more before the festival. “Pontoon bridges will be set up at two ghats, the Collectorate Ghat and the Mahendru Ghat. BUIDCo has been given the task to construct a road leading to the Gai Ghat. The Adalatganj Ghat will however remain closed and the list of dangerous ghats will be announced soon,” the commissioner said.

Residents, however, are not confident about the administration’s claims. “We have been hearing about many steps regarding Chhath preparations. But if the administration still cannot guarantee the safety of people, how can we be confident?” Sujata Sinha, a resident of Boring Road, said.